Judge — January 12, 1884 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Politeness - Judge Magazine, January 9, 1884 This cartoon depicts two figures in formal dress positioned opposite each other at a small table labeled "SENATORSHIP," engaged in a tense negotiation. The caption reads: "GRANT. You take it. CONKLING. No! No! You." The satire concerns a disputed Senate seat. Based on the historical context of 1884, this likely references a political conflict between former President Ulysses S. Grant and Senator Roscoe Conkling, prominent Republican figures. The cartoon mocks their exaggerated politeness—each insisting the other claim the position—as false civility masking genuine political ambition. The artist (Hamilton, per signature) suggests both men desperately want the seat while maintaining a facade of gentlemanly deference, exposing the hypocrisy beneath formal political discourse.